Dear Church Family,

It’s Pastor Ryan Vance here. It’s hard to believe it’s already been a year and a half since my family relocated from Uganda to serve in Chester at Greenhouse. God specifically called me to Greenhouse to serve Him by ministering to those struggling with addiction. Today, I’m sharing a big update: WE’RE MOVING!

At the end of February, my wife, our three girls, and I will be packing up once again. We’ve never lived in one place for very long, and after a year and a half, we’re moving from Media — where we’ve been staying with my parents since coming to America — to a home just minutes from our church in Chester.

Back in Uganda (and really anywhere we’ve lived), my wife and I never lived by ourselves — can you believe that? Whether family, friends, or someone in need, there was always a guest under our roof. In fact, we once had two Muslim nephews living with us who came to faith in Christ while staying in our home! To this day, we continue to support them by sponsoring their Christian school tuition.

Opening our home to others has always been a privilege, and moving here to live at someone else’s home was humbling. But we quickly found that living with grandparents who love our children and love God was a gift, and we have been greatly blessed by their generosity!

As we pack up once more, we thank God for this past season of growth and perspective — and we’re excited to settle into a home so close to the ministry work He’s called us to in Chester.

FAMILY UPDATES

God has been faithful and generous to me and my family. A few months ago, Sylivia’s green card was approved after navigating many legal hoops, and now she’s working on getting her driver’s license (she passed the learner’s permit phase!).

Adeline is in Kindergarten at Innovate Academy, and Katrina will begin pre-school at Mount Hope three days a week. Emmeline is at home with mom but doing her own “studies” each day! We are grateful for God’s provision and guidance in every step of our family life. Above is a picture of my wife Sylivia at her women’s small group which meets every other Tuesday night.

For me? This week I’m celebrating 9 years of sobriety. I thank God that he totally freed me from addiction and has blessed my life in so many ways! If you or someone you love is struggling in addiction, please know that God has already given us everything we need – through His Word and power – to live life in complete victory and freedom.

SUPPORT RYAN & HIS FAMILY

REFINING PROGRAMS FOR GREATER IMPACT

As the Director of Discipleship, Biblical counseling, and specifically addressing addiction as a sin issue, is my greatest responsibility and passion.

As we look to refine our recovery and discipleship programs for greater impact, I’m focusing on doing this through a distinctly Biblical lens. But how? By integrating recovery counseling and discipleship under the local church and including daily devotions — what I call Scripture saturation — and including practical day-to-day things like counseling on job training and financial stewardship. I often refer to addiction as desire disorder. Only the Bible can truly change someone’s desires.

Our goal is to see men not only freed from addiction, but saved and living in total submission and victory under Christ, and eventually to be equipped for leadership in urban ministry. Our vision is to cultivate long-term spiritual growth and a strong biblical foundation.

MINISTRY HIGHLIGHT

Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
—Romans 10:17

I want to share about someone who recently came into our recovery program after hitting rock bottom. I’ll call him Bill.

Before coming to Greenhouse, Bill had never read the Bible. He never attended church regularly. He came into our recovery program after drug addiction and a detox program.

Bill moved into one of the recovery houses and started coming to church on Sundays, Mondays, and Wednesdays — which is mandatory for recovery and discipleship — and started to be totally saturated in the Word of God. He began desiring real, lasting transformation in his life.

I started doing devotions every night with Bill. He would read a chapter in the Bible and call me in the evenings. Every night. He’d read a chapter in the Bible, call me, and we’d discuss it. And remember, Bill was reading the Bible for the very first time.

After weeks of this deeper level of discipleship, Bill asked to do Biblical counseling and he took the next step to enter the Discipleship program. He now reads Scripture daily, works full-time, participates actively in church, and submits to God’s authority in every area of life. His life has totally changed because the Bible came to life for him, and he submitted his life fully to Jesus Christ.

This is why I love being a missionary in Chester. Seeing men who were once slaves to sin and lost in addiction set free by the power of Christ never gets old. While this type of work has its emotional ups and downs, I am so thankful to God for this season of serving as a minister of the Gospel at Greenhouse.

EDUCATION

I’m still in school! As you may know, I’m working toward my Master of Theology degree in Christian Counseling. Right now, I’m finishing up my last systematic theology class, and then I only have two classes remaining before I begin my thesis project, an 80-page study on the sufficiency of Scripture in addiction counseling. My focus will be along the lines of “Addiction as Idolatry: A Biblical Theology of Desire and Dependency.” God has shown us that the Bible provides everything needed to confront addiction — it’s ultimately a heart issue, and the cure is Christ. This is one of my greatest passions!

And when not teaching or counseling, I’m immersed in schoolwork. If all goes as planned, I’ll finish in 4–6 months. I’m also prayerfully considering pursuing a PhD. My heart is to grow in the knowledge of Jesus and to be better equipped to serve those around me.

PREACHING

Over the past few months, I’ve had countless opportunities to bring Scripture to the Monday night Freedom Group, Wednesday Midweek Service, and Sunday morning gatherings. God uses every opportunity I have to preach and teach to refresh and energize me, and I pray he uses them to build the Body. Here are a few messages I wanted to share with you:

· Luke 19:1-10 | The Tax Collector

· Galatians 4:4-7 | Advent in Letters

· 1 Corinthians 10:14-22 | Dangers of Idolatry

If you or someone you know is struggling with addiction, or simply wants to grow in their faith in Jesus, I believe these messages will minister to you.

As we’ve reflected on all God has done in former seasons, and ahead to this new year — here are some of my goals that I’ve shared with family and friends:

Seek Christ faithfully
Love my wife sacrificially
Teach my children diligently
Serve my church wholeheartedly

PRAYER

My family and I welcome your prayers! Here are some ways that you can pray for us:

Spiritual and physical protection and refreshment for our family
Continued growth and impact in discipleship and recovery programs
God’s provision in housing, finances, and ministry
Wisdom and guidance for my thesis and future education

SUPPORT OUR MINISTRY

As we prepare to move next month, continue our education and immigration processes, and faithfully serve the City of Chester, we would be so grateful if you prayerfully considered partnering with us financially!

Thank you for taking the time to read our family missionary update. We love you all!

In Christ,
Ryan Vance & Family

SUPPORT RYAN & HIS FAMILY